An ecumenical delegation led by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has released a message to the Congolese people that commends significant steps taken to ensure the success of the current electoral process, acknowledges the challenges ahead, and makes recommendations for pursuing peace and well-being for the country.

The delegation acknowledged that significant steps are being taken in the right direction, including efforts to correct electoral files, compliance with the major stages of the published calendar, and the commitment of the government to finance the elections.

The visiting delegation included Tveit and Rev. Dr Frank Chikane, moderator of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, along with representatives from the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

They visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 19-21 August to meet with religious leaders and government officials, and to express solidarity with the people and pray for just peace.

The message expresses solidarity for the Congolese people at this crucial turning point in their history. General elections are scheduled for 23 December.

“At the same time, it is also an opportunity for us to encourage the various religious faith communities to work together, to look in the same direction and to speak with one voice for the general interest of the Congolese people,” reads the message. “After meeting and exchanging with different people, we understood that, for the solution for the crisis in the DRC, the success of the current electoral process is crucial, as provided in the Constitution and set out in the Global Political and Inclusive Agreement of 31 December 2016, which has been hailed by the Congolese people and by the international community.”

“On the other hand, we are also preoccupied, like many of our interlocutors, by a few challenges that, if not taken into account, may render in vain the efforts made,” the message continues.

These challenges include: “the issue of people enlisted without fingerprints; the need of consensus and trust on the use of the voting machine; the importance of fulfilling measures provided in the Saint Sylvestre Agreement, particularly the cases of prisoners and political exiles which are not yet resolved; and the need to guarantee the inclusiveness of elections.”

The delegation strongly urged the National Independent Electoral Commission and the Congolese Government to seriously address these issues by seeking the necessary consensus and by taking courageous actions in order to guarantee credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections. “This is very significant for the peace and the well-being of this beautiful and blessed country,” reads the message.

The delegation also recommended and encouraged election observation by national and international organizations that have the competence and wish to participate in the electoral poll of 23 December 2018.

“In this situation, we encourage the faith leaders to exercise their moral and pastoral responsibility vis a vis the Congolese people and their leaders,” the message reads. “We are stronger when we are together. That is why we encourage faith communities in DRC to continue to speak together with the same language and concentrate on the common good.”

Conference on medicne and religion 2018 .

The 2018 Conference on Medicine and Religion

April 13-15, 2018 | St. Louis, MO

Examining the Foundations of Medicine and Religion

We invite health care practitioners, scholars, religious community leaders, and students to take up these questions and consider their implications
for contemporary medicine.

On what basis can medicine and religion engage one another?

Is contemporary medicine beholden to philosophical commitments that are rivals to or in harmony with world religious
traditions?

Do efforts to incorporate religion into contemporary medicine lead to unwanted distortions
of one or both?

Can contemporary medicine answer questions about meaning and purpose that arise at
the bedside?

Should religious communities develop their own understandings and practices of the healing
arts?

Do medicine and religion share foundations on which they can build and work together?

Senior Research Scholar, The Kennedy Institute - Georgetown
University

.

"Empirical Foundations of Medicine and Religion"

Tyler VanderWeele, Ph.D.

Professor of Epidemiology - Harvard School of Public Health

....and over one hundred papers, panels, posters and workshops.

CME credits available with participation.

Conference Sponsors

Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics, Saint Louis University Initiative on Health, Religion and Spirituality, Harvard
University Institute for Spirituality and Health, Texas Medical CenterOhio State University Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, and

Initiative on Theology, Medicine, and Culture, Duke University Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor UniversityNotre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture

ISH 2017 PSYCHOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY CONFERENCE .

Dr. Ken Pargament at a previous P+F Conference

2017 Psychotherapy
& Faith Conference

The Cauldron of Relationships: Nurturing the Spiritual Connection

Friday, November 10th, 2017 // 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church5501 Main StreetHouston, TX 77004

ISH’s Psychotherapy & Faith Conference is in its 26th year. This year promises to be outstanding and provide cutting-edge experience for practicing psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social
workers, mental health professionals, chaplains, clergy and members of the interested public. The theme for the conference is “The Cauldron of Relationships: Nurturing the Spiritual Connection”

ASI International 70th anniversary convention included health .

Tom Rankin on coping with life issues through spirituaility.

Tom Rankin , pharmacist and minister spoke with Dr Akwo Thompson Ntuba during the just ended National community pharmacists association annual meeting and expo that took place at the Ernest Morial convention center down New Orleans LA . He said he retired from day to day practice of Pharmacy because he lost his eye sight though God allowed him to continue taking care of patients and others through the other gift he gave him , that of ministry . H e talked of the God who lives in him and through whom he manages to cope with many issues in his life including sicknesses . He was clear that spirituality generally has helped him to cope in life . Dr Akwo Thompson Ntuba .

Communities represent schools in national back to church day 2016.

The temple at Loyola university Campus neighborhood hosted guests from many universities in New Orleans including Zavier and Dillard universities on the 18th of September 2016 . Coming together in worship , fellowship and love under the national back to church Sunday, representing your school commission . The worship service began at about 10;20am with an intercessory prayer , with Music ministry from Dillard university , pastoral observations and offering by Sis Kendra Parsons, with message given by Pastor D , while Pastor Boutin gave the closing announcements with the benediction from Elder present . This fellowship time and worship gives the students the benefit of fellowship and mental health and wellness through spiritual resources . Dr Akwo Thompson Ntuba

Prayer for communal healing at NAACP 2016 annual convention .

The 107th convention for the national association for the advancement of colored people took place in Cincinnati Ohio in July 2016 . The discussions which were under the theme "Our lives matter , our votes count " with a prayer during the presentation o the colors which was centered on healing the community and people of God in the midst of the killings of civilians and police . Dr Akwo, Thompson Ntuba

DR BETTY DEAS CLARK ON CHURCH HEALING AFTER MURDERS BY GUN

Dr Betty Deas Clark believes that the can be healing in the church even after the murder of it,s members by a gunman .

DR GARY BRAUNER on religion and the skin [dermatology ].

Music and health at MMEA 2016 conference Baltimore USA

WHO definition of health is very holistic . Health is a complete state of physical , social and mental wellbeing , not necessarily the absence of disease or infirmity . The social aspect has seen an amplification with the inclusion of the spiritual dimension of man . Spirituality and patient care is now addressed in the curriculum of the major universities around the world especially the USA . Some of the fame persons in this area of medical practice today are plastic surgeon Dr John Graham of Texas medical center Houston . Dr Koening of Duke university medical center , Dr Christiana Pulschaski of George Washington university medical school and Dr Don Colbert . Each year medical and health personnel in Houston and around America are hosted to two health and spirituality seminars by the institute of spirituality and health [ISH] of theTexas medical center , the biggest in the world . George Washington institute of spirituality and health also host a yearly conference beside the many others around the country . What are all of these professional centers and specialists really saying and doing ? Many physicians who integrate Christain faith and spirituality are members of the Christian medical and dental association of the united states [CMDA] and the Christian medical and dental association of Nigeria . Is the medical profession returning to it,s roots ? Are all the spiritual healing practices the same ? What then should we say of the healing ministries in the different faith traditions do ? Any place for clinical pastoral education ? Are faith healers scientific ? and must they be ?

Spirituality and science collaborative partnership at American public health association annual meeting 2014

The American public health association in the recent past has had the caucus on public health and the faith community space at it,s annual meetings where discussions dealing with faith community input in public health issues take place .

Some of the presentations at the 2014 meeting in New Oleans include, celebrating religion as a social determinant of health [204.0], Examing faith based preventive measures to improve health outcomes [423.0], Exploring effective faithbased strategies
to address health [4306.0], Faith based organisations geographical impact on health [4408.0] .

These presentations and reserach are in line with the belief of the association that faith is a key to delivery of effective community health services .

The Amaerican public health association has over the years been involved in promoting faith in health policy , programs and professional development of the health aspect of the faith community work, through partnerships and collaborations .

DR AKWO, THOMPSON NTUBA

SPIRITUAL ASSESMENT TOOL IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

An acronym which can be used to remmemeber what to ask in a spiritual history is F I C A.

F Faith or beliefs

I Importance and influence of faith or beleif .

C Community [faith
in religious community eg fellowship or assemebly]

A Address , how you and or your health care provider will address these issues .

Some specific questions which can be used to address these issues are ;

Faith
- What is your faith or belief ? Do you consider your self spiritual or religious ?

What things do you beleif in that give meaning to your life ?

I - Is it important
in your life ? What influence does it have on how you take care of yourself?

How has your beleif influenced your behaviour during illness?

What role do your beleifs play in regaining
your health?

C Are you part of a spiritual or religious group community ?

Is this of support to you and how ?

Is there a person or group of people you really love or who are really important
to you ?

A How would you like me , your health care provider to address these issues in your health care ?

The general recommendations when taking a spiritual history .

1 Consider spirituality as a potentially
important component of every patient .s physical wellbeing and mental health .

2 Address spirituality at each complete physical examination and continue addressing it at all folow up visits if appropriate
.

DR DON COLBERT , in his integrative spiritual care , addresses the whole man . Compassionate care is making a great difference in the way patients are treated today with many medical centers in the world , accommodating the practice . DR AKWO , THOMPSON NTUBA

Forgiveness and your health .

JILL BURLESON , on spirituality in Griefing .

Jill Burleson , attending the 41st congress of the Oncology Nurses society in San Antonio Texas in april 2016 , granted an interview to Dr Thompson Akwo Ntuba on spirituality in the congress program , emphasizing the place of spirituality in Grief work work especially as it relates to oncology patients